Automatic fire alarm



May 19, 1931. J. E. eooowm AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM Filed Jan. 51, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet l hams lLLia Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED. S ATES JAMESGOODWIN, OF CEDAR BLUFF, VIRGINIA auroua'nc FIRE ALARM Application filedJanuary 31, 1929. Serial No. 336,616.

This invention aims to provide a novel temperature-controlled switchmechanism whereby upon a rise of temperature, one

. circuit may be opened and another circuit be closed, the structurebeing of peculiar utility in connection with fire alarm systems and thelike. 7

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generallyv and toenhance the "utility of devices of that type to which the invention aprtains.

With the a ove and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the comblna- 16 tion andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention;

"Figure 2 is a longitudinal section wherein some parts appear inelevation;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan;

Figure 5 is an end elevation;

vFigure 6 is a cross section L on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

, Figure 7 is a longitudinal section similar to Figure 2, but showingthe parts .as they will appear after the fuse has been melted out. V

The device formingthe subject matter of this application comprises whatmay be designated under the general name of a frame, marked, as a whole,b the numeral 1.- The frame 1 is made 0 porcelain or other insulatingmaterial, and includes a plate-like base 2, and a hollow body 3 delpending from the base 2, the base 2 being supplied in its lower surfacewith a depression 4 wherein the body 3 is received;

The body 3 is rovided with a longitudinal chamber 5 wl iich, as shown inFigure 3 and inFigure 6, is somewhat restricted in width. The chamber 5is provided atone end with an enlarged circular extension 6 (Figure 3)which opens downwardly through the lower surface of the body 3 (Figure2). The chamber 5 is provided at its opposite end with an enlargedcircular extension 8 (Figure 3) which is not quite so large in diameteras the extension 6. It will be seen from Figure 2 that the extension 8is not prolonged through the lower surface of the body 3. The body isequipped with transverse recesses 10 located on opposite sides of thechamber 5. Referring to Figure 7, for instance, it can be plainly seenthat the recesses 10 are not so ,v

eep as the chamber 5. By means of securing elements 11, mounted in holes12, the body 3 is held on the base 2 detachably, and the securingelements ma be bolts.

n angle bracket 14 is provided and is supplied in its depending armwithan opening 15. .A securing element 16a connects the bracket'14 with thebody 3, at one end of, the body. Comparing Figures 1 and 5, the readerwill note that there is a binding member 16 on the exposed portion ofthe bracket 14, and this binding member holds the conductor 17, theconductor 17 being extended through a hole 18 in the frame 1.

At that end of the body 3 which is remote from the angle bracket 14,there is another angle bracket which is marked by the numeral 19. Asecuring; member 20, such as a screw, holds the angle bracket 19 on thebody 3. The angle bracket 19 carries a con necting screw 21 that retainsthe conductor 22, the conductor being extended through a hole 23 in thesupport 1, Figure 4 being referred to at this point. An angular arm 24,having some resiliency, is connected by a securing element 25 to thebracket 19, as shown in Figure 2, and the arm may be considered to be apart of the bracket. The

'arni 24 terminatesin a reduced finger 26 (Figure 4). At 29 there isshown a link which is made of metal, like the arm 24 and the anglebracket 19. 'The link 29 is supplied at its inner end with a projection32 whichgives a good anchorage (Figure 2) 2 V V I 1,805,946

for a mass of fusible material'27 joining the reduced end 28 of the link29 to the finger 26 of the arm 24 on the bracket 19, the parts 28 and 26being overlapped on each other.

The outer end of the link 29 is fashioned into a hook including a bend30 and a support'31 projecting backwardly through the opening 15 intheangle bracket 14. The part 31 of the link 29 is called a supportbecause it up-holds a weight 33 that is ver tically slidable in theextension 6 of the chamber 5 in the body 3, Figures 2 and 7 beingcompared. The weight 33 is equipped at its lower end with an outstandingrim 34 which, cooperating with the lower surface of the body 3, limitsthe upward movement of the weight 33if the weight 33 is shoyed upwardlytoo far whilst the body 3, is detached from the base 2. The weight 33 isof frusto-conical form and has a slot ,35 in its upper end. A pivotelement 36 is mounted inthe upper'end .of the weight 33 and extendsacross the slot 35. The vpivotelernent 36 forms a connection between theweight 3.3 and a rigid lever 37 which is movable in the longitudinalchamber 5 of the body 3. In that end vofthe lever 37 which is remotefrom the pivot element 36, there is an opening 38 through which extendsa fulcrum pin ,39.- The opening preferably is a good deal larger indiameter than the pin 39so that the lever can have a somewhat loosefulcrum on the pin, a free and easy movement of the lever thus beingassured. I The ends of the fulcrum .pin .39 are received in the seats.9, as shown in Fig ure 3, the construction being such that the fulcrumpin and the lever can'be easily removed when the body 3 is detachedfromthe base 2. a y Y r J A pair of metal contact members 40 are located inthe transverse recesses 10 and have downwardly extended, converging,resilient tongues 41 that project (Figure 16,) into the longitudinalchamber 5 and extend beneath the switch lever 37. On top of the contactmembers 40 are placed metal washer blocks 42. Securing devices 43(Figure .6) pass through theblocks 12, the contact members 40, andthrough the body 3. At theirlower ends, the securing devices 43ersthreaded into anchor plates 44- (Figure Sande.) seat ed in recesses onthe lower surface .of the body 3. The anchor plates 44' carry bindingscrews 45 holding conductorsAG which are extended upwardly through holes.47 in the frame 1.

When the fusible material 27 is in place, as shown inFigure 2, there isprovided a closed circuit including the conductor lZ, the angle bracket14, the link 29, the fusible material 27, the arm 24;,the bracket 19,and,

the conductor 22. Although the weight 3.3 rests on the finger 31 .of thelink32, as

sh wn n Figure th s cl sed circuitis not circuit, because, with theparts arranged as show-11in Figures 6 and 2, the lever 37 does not touchthe tongues 41.

When the fusible material 27 melts, the link 29 swings down int t eposit on F u the Pa ts 28 and are separated and he suppo t hereiribeforede cr bed .a

closed circuit, is opened.

When the parts assume the positions of Figure 7, the support 31 nolonger carries the weight 33 and the weight 33 inoves ow wa hyg avi y,.3

. When th w g m v d wnward, as

aforesaid, thelever 3T swings on. the fu l crum pin 39 and engagesthetong ies ill of Figure 6. The circuit heneinbefore -de-' scribedas anopencircuit, now is closed 7 n ord t e tor the pa t th position.ofFigure 7 to. the originalposition of Fig 2, it is neces a y m e y owing Alp the l k '29 and fast nit o t P t 2 101 the arm 24 by meansofthe fusible material s own a .27 T .sunpert 3 raises th Wei-ght.33 andilts-the" lever 37 o its fall,- crum 39"until the lever is in thepositionof Figure 6 and ou of n abt Wi hth to gfl 31.

'Wh is laim d i8 7 I r 1. In a thermal switch, the combinationof aframe, a leve ul l r n d n t rame :i r vertical downward swingingncrement, 3i thread ng weight moun e o the lease a constituting meaiisfor swinging the lever downwardly, a contact rnember on the frame andout of electrical engagement with the lever when the lever is raisedythelever ,enengaging the contact member -when the lever swings downwardly,responsive $0 the we ght a in emb dying a u e rpent im the weightresting directly on a partef ,the link, to support the weight, hold thelever ra s and ke p th lever-pu o electri l e gage n th thee o a t e br, and mea ferment g h n o he frame at spaced points nopr e s s of theweight,

both of said means being spaced from the lever and being independentthereof,

In a thermal sw t he combination of a frame, .a .contact .n emb er .onthe frame, le s umed 1 the f ame; a eight carried by the lever, ,abracketon the frame, a link having ,a hook engaged pimtally th qugh thhra k t, h enrl 0 the/bookcagaging the weight to raise the weight andhold the lever out of engagement with the contact member, and fusiblemeans cooperating with the opposite end of the link to hold it inweight-engaging position.

3. In a thermal switch, a body provided in its upper surface with achamber, there being oppositely disposed seats in the body, the seatsbeing in communication with the chamber, and openin through the uppersurface of the body, t e seats being at one end of the chamber and thebody being provided with an o ning disposed at the opposite end of the camber, the opening extending through the lower surface of the body,

a base secured to the top of the body, a fulcrum pin having its endsmounted in the seats and retained therein by the base, a weight slidablein the opening, a lever pivoted to the weight, the lever being fulcrumedon the pin and being mounted in the chamber, a contact member on thebody and wherewith the lever engages when the weight descends, andmechanism for holding the weight elevated, said mechanism comprising afusible member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature.

JAMES E. GOODWIN.

